Tale 133: The Iron Stove (Ash)

(real tale: The Iron Stove)

"Once upon a time, there was a prince who was cursed by an old witch to sit in a large iron stove in a forest." Ash begins. "We'll call him Katsuro."

"How could he stay in there and not get burned?" Misty is piqued.

"That was a question many would be heroes and adventurers pondered." Ash assures Misty. "Katsuro had been in the stove for many years, unharmed by its fire, and no one had any idea how to free him."

"Interesting..." Brock is equally piqued in the tale's setup.

"Now, one day, a princess got lost in the forest--we'll call her Sachi." Ash continues. "She had been wandering around in the forest for about nine days when she discovered the iron stove. When she peeked in, Katsuro asked her, "Where do you come from, and where do you want to go?"

"I have lost my way to my father's kingdom, and I don't know how to get home." Melody fills in Sachi's dialogue.

"I will help you find your way home, if you will promise to do what I tell you." Ash explains in character as Katsuro. "I am a prince trapped in here, and although I can't see you, I wish to marry you."

He acknowledges the applause for his interplay, then continues. "Princess Sachi was scared and confused, and wondered just what could a young girl do with an iron stove. But she wanted very much to go home, and promised to do what the voice inside the stove said."

"So what did Prince Katsuro ask Princess Sachi to do?" Brock asks.

"He first asked her to bring a blade sharp enough to make a hole in the iron." Ash replies. "That was enough to give Princess Sachi new resolve--she eventually made it out of the forest and back to her father's castle in roughly two hours. Needless to say, everyone was elated to see Princess Sachi home safe, especially her father the king."

"I would be too, if I were the king." Brock smiles.

"Princess Sachi told her father everything that had happened, and when the king heard it all, he turned white as a Gastly in fear--what if this being in the stove was some monster or evil spirit?"

[What did they do?] Mai is intrigued.

"The king remembered that the miller had a daughter of his own, who was very beautiful herself." Ash explains. "So he decided that she would take Princess Sachi's place."

"Uh oh..." Misty giggles as she pictures Prince Katsuro's reaction to the switch.

"So they took the miller's daughter there, gave her a knife, and told her to scrape at the iron stove." Ash continues. "She scraped at it for an entire day, but did not make so much as a dent. The next day, Prince Katsuro called from the iron stove..." As Prince Katsuro again, he intones "I see the sun, a new day has come."

"It seems so to me; I think I hear my father's mill rattling." Melody fill's in the daughter's dialogue.

"Prince Katsuro sent the miller's daughter away right then and there, telling her he wanted to see Princess Sachi." Ash continues over the applause. "The miller's daughter told the king what had happened, but the king was still afraid Princess Sachi was being lured into a trap. He sent a swineherd's daughter out the next day, but the same thing happened--after not making so much as a dent, Prince Katsuro learned who was really outside, and sent her away with a dire warning."

He intones as Prince Katsuro "If she does not come, the kingdom will fall into ruin, and not one stone will remain."

Brock swallows hard as Ash continues. "Finally, the king allowed Princess Sachi to go to the iron stove. As soon as she reached it she began to scrape, and made a little hole before two hours were up. She peeked in, and saw Prince Katsuro, with all his jewels and finery, she fell in love with him right then and there."

"Pika?" Pikachu asks, sparking intently.

"Princess Sachi eventually made the hole large enough for Prince Katsuro to get out." Ash concludes. Prince Katsuro reiterated his love for Princess Sachi, and he was welcomed with all the trappings and pageantry of a great hero when Princess Sachi brought him home. They were married not long after, and lived happily ever after."

Misty's applause is the loudest. "That was a sweet tale..."